What happened
On the morning of the incident, an aircraft departed Las and Vegas, Nevada, at approximately 09:19 under an IFR flight plan, with a destination of Midland, Texas. During the initial phase of the flight, the pilot reached a cruising altitude of 13,000 feet. At 10:05, the pilot notified Albuquerque ARTCC that the aircraft was level at 13,000 feet, and shortly thereafter received clearance to climb to 15,000 feet.
At 10:13, the pilot contacted Albuquerque Flight Watch to report that the aircraft was positioned roughly 23 miles west of Flagstaff, Arizona. During this communication, the pilot noted that the aircraft had encountered light mixed icing approximately 20 miles prior to its current position at 13,000 feet. In response to a request for weather information, Flight Watch provided a report of trace rime icing at 12,000 feet near Albuquerque.
By 10:15, the pilot contacted Albuquerque ARTCC to report that the aircraft was currently experiencing mixed icing and requested an additional climb to 17,000 feet. Although the controller cleared the ascent, the pilot failed to respond to a subsequent weather update from Flight Watch regarding icing near Albuquerque. Radar monitoring showed the aircraft climbing to 15,200 feet before entering a rapid descent. A final, fragmented transmission was received at 10:17, and radar contact was lost at 10:17:20. Subsequent investigation of the wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies.
Findings
- The aircraft encountered mixed icing conditions during the climb.
- The flight path transitioned from a steady climb into an uncontrolled descent.